Draft-rigging



W. J. REGAN.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION HLED AUG-28, 1919.

1,346,556, Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET I.

vwentoz Mummy:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JLREGAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

Specification of Iletters Patent; Patented July 13, 1920,

Application filed August 28, 1919. Serial No, 320,452.

To all whom may concern Be it known that I, i lman J Ritalin, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of l-illegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Draft- Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to draft rigging which, while capable of general application to railway vehlcles, 1s especlally suitable for equipping cars such as are usually comprised in passenger trains. The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, durable and efficient device involving few and easily assembled parts which as a whole constitute a draft rigging having centering mechanism serving normally to center the car coupler thereofin the longitudinal axis of the car. Generally stated, this object is accomplished by constructing the head and shank of thecoupler so as to allow the laterally projecting spring boxes of the centering mechanism tobe assembled in position on the coupler shank by inserting them through the .coupler head and through the forward part of the shank, the latter being provided with oppositely disposed apertures through which the respective springboxes project it and being formed with an interior cavity permitting the said boxes to be brought into alinement withthe said aperturesand in spaced relation to each other.

There are other features-of invention, residing in particular combinations of elements and advantageousforms of parts, all as will hereinafter appear.

s In the drawings chosen toillustrate the preferred form in which I contemplate applying my invention, the scope whereof is set forth inthe'claims,

Figure l is a plan view of a draft rigging embodying the invention, the rear part of the draft yoke being broken away, a portion coupler, the coupler head being omitted and the section being taken through the center of the spring-boxes.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the coupler and 2 is a draft yoke. The coupler is pivotally connected to the car, preferably by pivotal connection with the yoke, so as to be capable of swinging laterally with respect thereto. The head 3 of the coupler may be, and preferably is, of the well known interior being in open communication with the interior of the coupler head 3 to which it is integrally united. T o the rear of the junction of the shank and head the side walls of the shank diverge rearwardly, as at 9, and thereafter preferably converge or approach each other somewhat abruptly, thereby affording extended bearings or shoulders 10 for supporting the rear sides of the spring-boxes 11. In advance of the bearing shoulders 10 the inclined side walls9 of the shank are respectively provided with oppositely disposed apertures 12 through which the outer ends of the corresponding springboxes project. The inclined or rearwardly flaring sides 9 of the coupler shank afford space facilitating the assembly of'the spring boxes and the coupler shank without unduly enlarging said shank, and such construction also enables the shank when displacedto the limit of itslateral swing tofhave extended bearing contact with the centersills 13 of the car, thus preventing the distortion of the front ends of the sills that would be liable to occur if the sides of the coupler shank were made parallel.

The coupler is adapted to be pivotally connected to the railway vehicle, its shank be ingfor this purpose preferably formed at its rear end with integral pivot lugs or trunnions 14 which are adapted to be pivotally connected to the forward end of the yoke 2, said yoke, when such form of pivotal connection is employed, being preferably provided with a lower integral shoulder 15 and an upwardly "movable block or shoulder 1Q which normally engage the forward faces oi the respective 'trunnions Ll .to thereby deatachably' connect the coupler to the yoke.

The hollow spring-boxes 11 between which the transversely extending centering spring i 17 is operatively lnterposed preferably are" rectangular in cross-section and formed on opposlte sides at their inner or ad acent ends with shoulders or flanges'ldwhich, by engaging portions 19 and 20 of the coupler shank adjoining :theapertures 12 :through which the boxes project, serve to limit the extent to which the spring 17 may force the spring-bones. apart. boxes. is preferably provided at its outer end with removable threaded plug 2.1 which may be formed with a square opening 22 serving as aconven ent means for I'GCGlVlIlg.

a" wrench or square bar for removing and re.- placing the plug. This construction permlts thespring 1 7 and contained Qguide bar'23'to bereadily put'in position'by inserting them through the opening in the spring-box, the said opening being thereafter closed by screwing the ,plug 21 into place. 7 i v i I The interior of the shanks'of the coupler is provided with transversely. extending guide ribsor enumerate and 25 respectively, which engage the ends of .the flanges 18 of the spring-boxes and thuslilorm guides for maintaining the alinement of the boxes as they reciprocate toward or from each other on the bottom wall of thehollow shank in the operation of compressing the spring j 17 or of restoring the coupler. to centralized position n the longitudlnal {tXlS of the car after it has been laterally displaced therei from. The. forward guide shoulder 2 l is of 'whi ch is of course desirable. V

. In assembling the coupler centering Inech- 'anism. on the coupler thespring-boxes 11 are successively inserted into'the interior ofthe a height afl ordingsu'llicient space between it and the opposite .wall ofethe couplershank to allow the spring-boxes 11' to pass when being broughtto assembled position .orbeing V disassembled from theishank.

, As well shown in Fig. 2 the spring-boxes 11 arepreferablyso related to the coupler that the axis of the transverse centering spring 17 isbelow ;the longitudinal center- ,line 'o'f'the coupler shank 8,;thusei'ia'bling the pressure of the spring-boxes againstthe coupler when returning the latter to normal position tobe exerted closer to the frictional surfaces of the coupler, and earnerron 26,

couple head 3,}passed through the throat of the coupler into the interior of the coupler shank8, and then pushed irearw'ardly and broug'htinto assembled relation with their outer lends projecting outwardly throughthe corresponding apertures 12 in the side walls ;of the coupler shank. The springl'? and guide-ban QS -thenmayfbe put. in position One or the spring;

through the opening in the outer end of one of the boxes, afterwhich the threaded plug :21 is screwed :into place,"saidlp'lug preferably giving to, the spring a slight initial compression Y I claim: a

l. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler havlng ahollow integral shank provided upon opposite sides with apertures affording communication with the interior of said shank, of means for centralizing said shank with re spect to the car, said means involving springboxesmounted on said shank and respectivcly projectingoutwardly through said apcrtures,the hollow portion of said shank in advance of said spring-boxes constituting a ing an integral'shank provided on opposite sides thereof with rearwardly diverging side walls having apertures therein,.oli means for centralizing said shank with respect to the car, said .means involving spring boxes mounted on said shank and respectively projecting' through said apertures, said shank being formed with a passage extending'rearwardly from the forward end of said shank and connnunicating with said apertures, and said passage being adapted to receive said spring-boxes at "its forward'end' and to permit said boxes to bemoved rearwardly therein andlrespectively entered in said apertures.

,3. lnmechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a coupler having anintegral shank and ahead integrally united to said shank,said shank being provided on opposite sides -with apertures adapted to receive means for centralizing said coupler with respect'to the car and being'tormed with an interior passage com 'inunicati'ng with said apertures and with the interior of said coupler head, of means for centralizing said coupler with respect to the car, said means involv ngspring boxes ,pro-

jecting outwardlythrough said apertures, said spring-boxes being adapted to be entered in said apertures bypassing from .the interior of said coupler head through said passage.

4L. In mechanisni of the character indicated, the combinationwith a coupler ,ha'vlng an ntegral shank provided with apertures' on opposite sides thereof, ofmeans for centraliz ng said shank with'respect to the car, said means involving relatively movable spring-boxes provided with shouldersand mo nt d on said shank and respec tively projecting through said apertures, said shank having upon its interior transversely extending guide ribs or shoulders adapted to engage said shoulders of the spring-boxes to maintain the alinement of said boxes and having an interior cavity extending rearwardly from the forward end of said shank and communicating with said apertures and adapted to permit the passage of said spring-boxes.

5. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having a head and integral shank which are rigidly united, of means mounted on said shank 'ior centralizing said coupler with respect to the car, said means involving relatively movable spring-boxes provided with shoulders adapted to engage said shank, and said shank being provided with rearwardly diverging side walls having apertures therein and being formed with an interior passage adapted to permit said spring-boxes to be entered in said apertures and being provided with shoulders adapted to engage and guide said boxes.

6. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having a head and integral hollow shank, of means mounted on said shank for centralizing said coupler with respect to the car, said means involving spring boxes supported by and movable on the bottom wall of the coupler shank, and a spring having its ends housed in the spring boxes, said spring extending transversely of said shank and having its axis below the longitudinal center line of said shank. p

7. In mechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a coupler having a head and integral hollow shank, of means mounted on said shank for centralizing said coupler with respect to the car, and a :arrier iron engaging the under side of said shank, said means for centralizing said coupler involving spring-boxes movably mounted on said shank and projecting outwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof and a spring extending transversely of the coupler shank and having its ends housed in the spring boxes, said spring-boxes being supported by and movable on the bottom wall of the shank, said shank having guide shoulders for maintaining the alinement of the spring boxes.

8. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler having an integral shank provided upon opposite sides with apertures afiording communication with the interior of said shank, of means for centraling said shank with respect to the car, said means being mounted on said shank and involving shouldered spring boxes respectively projecting outwardly through said apertures, said springboxes being open at their adjacent ends and one of them being provided at its outer end with a removable member affording access to the interior of said box, and said shank being formed with an interior cavity extending rearwardly from its forward end and communicating with said apertures and adapted to permit the passage of said spring-boxes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. REGAN. 

